1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable devices which provide useful information in medical and other emergency situations.
2. Description of Related Art
In any emergency operation, such as in the rescue of an unconscious victim, it is of paramount importance for the individuals involved to take the proper actions as soon as possible. Normally, if proper rescue operations are applied to a victim, the chances of survival or recovery of the victim are much improved. In order to carry out many rescue operations effectively, the rescuer must follow the steps set forth in any of the standard medical rescue manuals. The proper procedure is generally based upon the particular condition of the victim.
Standard rescue procedures are well developed in the medical field and are beyond the scope of this disclosure, except so far as may be necessary to explain the nature and application of the present application. Studies have shown that even amongst professional rescue operators such as paramedics, firemen, and nurses, relatively few people can remember the proper rescue sequence or procedure precisely. This is further complicated because the "standard" procedures frequently change as they are refined and new methodologies are introduced.
Even more importantly, a paramedic, fireman, nurse or other emergency medical technician is generally not available in the critical initial moments of an emergency. Rather lay rescuers, i.e. ordinary individuals, generally discover emergencies, and these people are responsible for both initiating the proper procedures and determining whether additional assistance from professionals is necessary.
In general, the standard procedures have become more complex, and more procedures have been created for a growing number of emergencies. As procedures become more and more complex, potential rescuers have more and more difficulty in obtaining familiarity with them and memorizing them.
Moreover, the ability of a rescuer to recall and employ the proper emergency procedure is further hampered by the chaotic circumstances typically surrounding an emergency situation.
The prior art has seen varied approaches to the handling of emergency instructions or to the use of audible instructions. The prior art systems have included use of instruction booklets having indices in which the particular emergency has to be located; then pages flipped locate the emergency; and read step by step while trying to perform the emergency with one hand and constantly going back to reread the instructions. The prior art also has included sophisticated computer instructions that are activated by a particular code on a telephone to give a caller instructions as to how to fill out a bank deposit, how to call a particular bit of information regarding insurance policies or the like.
Attempts have been made to provide devices to assist in providing emergency information to ensure that a rescuer performs the rescue operation properly. However, most of these have been devices dedicated to just one type of emergency--cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). One of such devices is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,158 to Selwyn et al. Selwyn's device is in the form of a timer with various coded pattern displays at predetermined time intervals to indicate various stages in the rescue operation. The main drawback of the device is that confusion may still arise for the rescuer to memorize which procedural step is related to which code.
Another device, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,383 to Parker et al., provides voice instructions solely for the rescuer to carry out the CPR rescue operation. Other portable CPR-prompting devices have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,383 to Parker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,524 to Hutchins, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,037 to Battaglia.
An emergency audible instruction apparatus for a fire extinguisher is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,395 to Bower. Such a device provides audible instructions which instruct a user in handling a fire emergency. The device is activated automatically when the fire extinguisher is removed from its base. Bower suggests that a device embodiment storing multiple instructions may be included with a dial selector for selecting a particular emergency. However, unlike the CPR-prompting devices, however, the Bower device is not portable, and suggests purely mechanical means for providing a portable solution.
A generalized manual key operated message generator is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,250 to O'Brien. However, this device is not portable nor adapted for emergency use. To retrieve a message, the user presses a series of keys to assemble a complete message upon prerecorded parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,391 describes a medical alert system for domestic use comprising two major components, a device worn about the neck and a home computer. The device worn about the neck and the home computer reciprocally communicate with one another to provide the wearer of the device, as well as an attendant of the device, both instructions for care and a method to call for emergency help. The home computer contains an audio synthesizer and a voice amplification device to communicate verbally to the individual. The device may be used to summons an ambulance from a remote location if the injured person is unable to reach a telephone.
As can be seen, most of the known devices are bulky in size, not portable to be located conveniently beside the victim at the rescue site, provide very limited information and are complex to operate. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a portable device which can be conveniently located beside a victim or near an emergency site to assist the rescuer to carry out the rescue operation. It is another object of the present invention to provide an emergency information device which provides step by step instructions sequentially in response to the condition of the victim. It is another object of the present invention to provide a rescue administration aid device operative to assist one or two rescuers to perform the required rescue operation on a victim of a selected age group. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a rescue administration aid device which is operative to recall any selected step in the rescue operation by the rescuer. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a rescue administration aid device in which the rescue instructions can be easily and inexpensively modified, if necessary, to update to a new rescue operation standard.
These objects and others are provided in the emergency information apparatus of the present invention.